Santa Clara, Calif. — Give the Giants credit. Even at full strength, they’re at a significant talent disadvantage to the 49ers. So minus Andrew Thomas and Saquon Barkley? Azeez Ojulari? Ben Bredeson? On the road across the country? Their second game in five days? They didn’t stand a chance.

But New York fought. They did. They kept it close for a time. Until, as expected, the 49ers pulled away, 30-12. But this was in no way, shape or form the embarrassment many predicted.

So maybe, just maybe, they can find victory in this defeat.

“We took a step in the right direction,” said outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux. “I feel like there were spurts of the team that we can be.”

It’s pretty surprising, actually, what the Giants -- specifically on defense -- did on Thursday night. They were far healthier than their offense, sure, but they went up against an opponent who seemed unstoppable through the season’s first three weeks. Pro-Bowlers and all-pro littered the field the moment Brock Purdy and Co. took it. A true pick-your-poison dilemma.

Cover Deebo Samuel? They’ll go to George Kittle. Pick Kittle? They’ll go to Samuel. Somehow manage to shut those two down and Christian McCaffrey will run left, right and up the middle, or catch passes in all the same directions.

Yet, despite this, the Giants held strong until Samuel got past Adoree' Jackson for a game-sealing touchdown with just under six minutes left. They were never going to shut this offense down, but they bent without breaking.

The 49ers gained 441 yards. They held the ball for over 39 minutes. They converted nine of 16 third downs. They exposed the Giants’ alarming 2023 tendency to miss tackles. But Wink Martindale’s unit gave up just three points in the first quarter. Just 10 in the second. A field goal in the third. It was an eight-point, one-possession game when the final 15 minutes began.

“Honestly, I like the way we ended the last game (against the Cardinals),” said defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence. “This game we attacked as a defense. It was very promising. I think we have to correct the little things that have been hurting us.

“It shows the heart that we have the competitive stamina we have as a unit. I think we have to keep going out there and fighting and showing who we are.”

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